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'Standing on top of Mt Everest was my life's best moment'

K Sivakumar,
havildhar attached to the Madras Regimental Centre in Wellington, is
the first person in Tamil Nadu to have climbed the Mount Everest as part
of an army mountaineering expedition this May. He is presently posted
at II Madras in Sikkim. On his first visit, after the expedition, to his
home town Lovedale near Ooty, K Sivakumar talks to TOI's Shantha Thiagaragan on his inspiration and challenges faced in climbing Mount Everest. What gave you the inspiration to climb Mount Everest? I
joined the army in 2001. In 2004, I was sent to Mountaineering Training
School in Gulmarg, Kashmir, for six months training. I passed out with
80 per cent score in the training. Initially, I drew inspiration from
other army personnel in the training. But my motivation was heightened
when I got posted at the same training school as my instructor for four
years. During those years, I got the chance to climb six peaks in Ladak,
Utharanjal and Himalaya while training army students.

Have you attempted to climb the Everest before? Yes.
In November 2014, a team of army personnel had planned to scale Mount
Everest to celebrate fifty years of climbing the mountain by the army.
But unfortunately, the expedition was cancelled midway due to an earth
quake on April 25, 2015. The Nepal government had also cancelled
permission to access the Everest. During that time 18 people died and
around 60 were injured.

How do you handle the disappointment?The
experience only gave me more courage and hope. In November 2015, a team
of 30 members were sent for training in army camps in New Delhi for two
months. Out of the 30 people, two seven-member teams were selected to
climb Mount Everest. I was fortunate to have been chosen. We reached
Kathmandu on March 30 and on April 5 we started our Everest expedition.

How did you manage the low oxygen level and rations on your expedition? As
the oxygen level is very low after 7000 meters, we could not eat but we
needed energy. Part of our ration included energy bars and drinks which
helped us get through the expedition. The oxygen was part of our
mountaineering costume. It took us 25 days to reach Mount Everest and
return to Kathmandu.

How did you feel when you reached the highest peak? On
May 19, after crossing several army base camps, we reached the very top
of the mountain. Words cannot express how I felt when I reached the
peak. I just could not believe I had actually climbed the Everest. It
took several days for the achievement to sink in. Standing there at the
top was the best moment of my life. We stayed there for 20 minutes to
take pictures and videos as evidences.

Did you ever think that one day you would climb Mount Everest? I
was an athlete when I was in school. However, mountaineering never
crossed my mind. Only after joining the army, I developed a passion for
mountaineering. If not for the army and support from my family, I could
not have achieved this goal.

How does it feel to return home after scaling the highest mountain?
It is very refreshing to return home and spend time with family.

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About Me

Charles G. Irion is the award-winning author and founder of Irion Books LLC which includes Remodeling Hell, Autograph Hell, Car Dealer Hell and Divorce Hell. In addition, Charles has authored a series of murder mystery novels set against the backdrop of the Seven Summits; they are Murder on Everest, prequel Abandoned on Everest, Murder on Elbrus, Murder on Mt. McKinley, Murder on Puncak Jaya, Murder on Aconcagua, Murder on Vinson Massif and Murder on Kilimanjaro.

A successful investor and businessman, Irion is the founder of U. S. Park Investments, a company that owns and brokers manufactured home and RV communities. In addition, Charles released Roadkill Cooking for Campers - The Best Dang Wild Game Cookbook in the World.